We Wanderers

Here we are, still in Oakland as our flight back to New York City was cancelled for the second day in a row. Winter weather advisories on the East Coast. Apparently our town is being walloped by a big storm. We woke this morning to a text from our son: "Ice everywhere. Your flight will probably be canceled again." Right then the phone rang and it was the airline, confirming his prediction.

Yesterday, I was super conscientious and used the extra day for more interview time with the subject of my new book project, but today I think I will do no work at all. The man and I will probably head down to Jack London Square and wander around the shops and galleries and sit for a spell on the docks watching the boats. The photo above is from earlier in the week, when we did just that. We are water babies, both of us. We are soothed by the sound of waves lapping the shore.

I'm getting to know Oakland a bit; San Francisco not so much, although we did explore murals in the Mission District and drive past the stately Victorian Painted Ladies on Alamo Square and do an adults-only nighttime social scene with wine glasses in hand at the Academy of Sciences. Music pumped from speakers and it was clearly a major date night, but we old folks ambled along, my cousin and my husband enthralled by the exhibits while I was completely entertained by the people watching.

I am in love with the architecture of San Francisco, those Painted Ladies in particular. They look like jeweled boxes, or intricately decorated cakes, just exquisite in their details. And I also fell in love with the hipster grunge of the Mission District—all those murals painted on fences and houses and garage doors, an intense explosion of color giving a real time narrative of the neighborhood. It continues even now. My cousin who lives there says almost every day she notices a new art piece. My very favorite place was Balmy Street, one narrow alley that is a breathtaking outdoor art gallery. We went there when the man wasn't feeling so well, so I didn't really get to spend the time I wanted with the paintings. I can't wait to go back. I'll probably do a post with some of my favorites Mission art later, but in the meantime here's a detail of one of the murals, an angel to guide us home. Fingers crossed flights won't be cancelled again tomorrow.